community in New York
Honey bee forage in Flanders, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 8% of sites in New York. Against other New York sites it stands out most in fall (77th percentile) and lowest in spring (7th). Biggest nearby bee crops: pumpkins (nearest 1.7 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 1.7 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); popcorn and ornamental corn (nearest 3.7 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Flanders?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking early May (summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Sep 30 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Flanders, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Pumpkins: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Oct (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Sweet corn: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Flanders
Mostly: Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Pitch Pine Barrens; Open water; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.19 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024); Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Flanders ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 24th | 44th | 45th | 64th |
| New York | 8th | 7th | 12th | 77th |
| Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens | 10th | 8th | 25th | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 83% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Flanders: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
East Quogue 3 mi · Riverside 4 mi · Aquebogue 4 mi · Westhampton 4 mi · Northampton 4 mi · Quogue 5 mi
All towns in New York · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Flanders (40.8888, -72.6042); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.